CE Partners is a leading Turkish law firm established in 2011 and has worked in cooperation with Clifford Chance since its inception. The Istanbul-headquartered firm has competent Turkish qualified legal practitioners, including partners Itır Çiftçi and Sait Eryılmaz. The deal team regularly advises major international and domestic banks, government entities and corporates on a broad range of banking, debt and equity capital markets, M&A and project finance. Recognised for its strong market presence and technical expertise, the firm holds top-tier rankings across its core practice areas in Türkiye.


Key clients 
Akbank, ING Bank, J P Morgan, MUFG and Türkiye Wealth Fund.
 
Highlights 
The firm advised Türkiye Wealth Fund on the refinancing and upsizing of its €790 million syndicated facility through a new €1.2 billion syndication facility. The financing was coordinated by ICBC Turkey Yatırım Menkul Değerler, Emirates NBD Capital, and First Abu Dhabi Bank, with Emirates NBD Bank acting as facility agent. 
The team also advised J P Morgan, MUFG and ING Bank, as joint bookrunners, on the issuance of US$600 million Rule 144A/Reg S 6.950% Green Notes by Türk Telekom. The transaction marked a significant milestone for the Turkish market as the first corporate sukuk issuance from Türkiye. 
 
Testimonials  
“CE Partners, in association with Clifford Chance, provided good service, as well as timely and flexible fee structure.” – Banking and finance

“CE Partners, in association with Clifford Chance, combines a strong international network with the highest standards of legal advice.” – Banking and finance

“CE Partners, in association with Clifford Chance, has team members who are highly experienced in their respective areas, particularly the banking and finance team led by Sait Eryılmaz. They bring extensive experience gained through their backgrounds and involvement in numerous local and international transactions.” - Banking and finance

“CE Partners, in association with Clifford Chance, demonstrated exceptional expertise throughout the project, which was carried out under significant time pressure and involved critical stages due to the counterparty being a state authority. The team consistently adopted a solution-oriented approach and was able to address highly complex issues from both legal and commercial perspectives.
Drawing on their extensive experience, they delivered outstanding work, contributed valuable insights, and proposed effective courses of action that greatly supported our decision-making process. They adapted quickly to unexpected developments and consistently provided timely and practical support.
It is also worth highlighting their ability to adapt to the dynamics of the automotive sector and provide commercially relevant advice. The team is composed of highly skilled associates who are dedicated, client-focused, and attentive to their clients' needs.” – M&A

“CE Partners, in association with Clifford Chance, provided very responsive and practical legal advice.” – M&A

“CE Partners, in association with Clifford Chance, combined strong technical expertise with a pragmatic, commercially aware approach throughout the process. What particularly stood out was the team's ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder dynamics involving lenders, shareholders, and counterparties while remaining solution-oriented and responsive under significant time pressure.” – M&A
“CE Partners team, in association with Clifford Chance, demonstrated exceptional technical proficiency and deep subject-matter expertise. Given that the investment instrument involved preferred shares incorporating both equity and debt features, the deal required a legal counsel capable of navigating the complexities of both asset classes.” – M&A

“Alican Altiparmak demonstrated strong follow-up skills.” – Banking and finance

“Başar Kırca has excellent English language skills.” – Banking and finance

“Başar Kırca is a highly hands-on lawyer with significant negotiation skills.” – Banking and finance

“Overall, the experience of working with Başar Kırca was very positive.” – M&A

“Deniz Yetkin was highly practical and provided robust and helpful advice.” – M&A

“Ekin Öner performed exceptionally well as the associate on the deal, demonstrating strong analytical skills and robust execution capabilities. He was highly reliable and deeply involved in every stage of the transaction, including managing the complex documentation workstreams under tight timelines.” – M&A

“Ekin Öner is a great team player and delivered successful work by providing the necessary support throughout the process. He worked effectively and provided prompt services.” – M&A

“Gökçe Uzun is a highly hands-on lawyer with strong negotiation skills.” – Banking and finance

“Itır Çiftçi demonstrated strong leadership, commercial acumen, and excellent negotiation skills. Her standout strength is her ability to strike the right balance between robustly protecting our interests as defensive legal counsel and finding pragmatic, common ground to keep the transaction moving forward. During a highly complex negotiation phase, her calm demeanour and solution-oriented approach were pivotal in successfully finalising the transaction documents.” – M&A

“Itır Çiftçi is an excellent practitioner. She understands and observes the expectations and needs of clients successfully and manages the whole process delicately by providing the guidance needed by the client. Her performance not only shows that she is a great practitioner but also a highly qualified person who can enlighten critical and complex issues to smoothen the decision-making process.” – M&A

“Sait Eryilmaz demonstrates strong client management skills and provides effective supervision of the team.” – Banking and finance

“Sait Eryılmaz demonstrates deep sector knowledge and expertise.” – Banking and finance


“Sait Eryılmaz, a key partner within the team. In addition to his deep knowledge, his strong client relationships and the trust he instils in clients when resolving problems are among the main reasons to work with him.” – Banking and finance

“Sait Eryılmaz demonstrated strong leadership throughout the process and was particularly effective in managing and guiding complex discussions among multiple stakeholders. Beyond his technical legal expertise, he brought a pragmatic and commercially minded perspective that helped maintain momentum and alignment during critical stages of the transaction. He was responsive, solution-oriented, and able to navigate challenging dynamics in a constructive and professional manner.” – M&A

“Umut Özdoğan is a highly competent, dedicated, and qualified counsel. Throughout the project, he handled assignments carefully and efficiently, delivering strong results even in critical situations and under significant time pressure.” – M&A

“Utku Aydın is highly responsive and hardworking.” – Banking and finance

“Ünal Can Sarıkaş Ünal Can was responsive, diligent, and supportive throughout the process. He handled follow-ups, documentation, and coordination matters efficiently and demonstrated strong commitment and professionalism. His attention to detail and willingness to support the broader team contributed positively to the overall execution of the transaction.” – M&A